1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally data processing in a social networking environment. Specifically, the present invention relates to the operation of matching individuals, each of whom is seeking to form personal relationships, with other like minded individuals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various online person-to-person matching services exist. The techniques utilized to create these matches usually depend on substantial data input by a prospective service user—i.e., the prospective user of such a service has to initially answer a multitude of personal, professional, etc. questions that are put to them with the use of especially designed screen shots of written questionnaires that are created and processed by the software that helps to control the operation or the matching service's website. The prospective user's data input or answers are then categorized in supposedly proprietary ways to arrive at an informative, user profile that is matched against the similar profiles of other users.
However, there is a significant level of user feedback which suggests widespread dissatisfaction with these current means of data input, the accuracy or usefulness of the resulting user profiles, and the ultimate matches which are generated through and by these matching services. Accordingly, there is a need for these matching services to have improved prospective user data input means, user profile development techniques and performance in the quality of the services they provide.